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Soroptimist International of Lake Oswego West Linn

Soroptimist is a global women’s organization whose members volunteer to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment. Approximately 80,000 Soroptimists in 130 countries and territories support community–based and global projects benefiting women and girls.

For more information about Soroptimist and programs that improve the lives of women and girls, visit Soroptimist.org.

Peter Wong's article is posted in the Portland Tribune, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015. Our club wishes more of the public be aware of this important legislation. Danielle Tudor and Brenda Tracy, unlike many of the people who will walk the halls of the Capitol this year, say they want nothing for themselves. They actually just met a few weeks ago. But they have a few things in common. They are survivors of rape — Tudor in 1979, Tracy in 1998 — who took years to go public with their stories. Tudor did so in 2008 — although she acknowledges that she described it then as an attack, not rape — and Tracy just did so in November.

"Imagine you are a thirteen, fourteen, fifteen-year-old, involved in your first “serious” relationship. It’s exciting, new, and so much fun. Stealing kisses, holding hands in the halls at school, trips to the mall, dates, texting each other twenty times a day, hanging out, changing your status on your social media page from “single” to “in a relationship”, in other words doing what kids do when they are in a relationship. Now imagine that your experience isn’t quite what you thought it would be. What if your partner is becoming increasingly possessive, demanding your social media and cell phone passwords, needing to know who you are communicating with, dictating who you can and cannot socialize with, telling you what you can and cannot wear? The twenty texts become fifty or more sent in rapid angry succession and your partner now expects much more from you than just hand holding and kissing. Your partner verbally abuses you, hits, slaps, or pushes you, or sexually abuses you. What if you’re relationship has become one of fear, isolation, and abuse? You are now one of approximately 1.5 million(1) teens who have disclosed being harmed by the person they were romantically involved with. You are a victim of teen dating violence."